Berth-support for sleeping-car seats



(No Model.)

' J. G. MORRISON.

BERTH SUPPORT FOR SLEEPING GAR SEATS.

No. 446,637. Patented Feb.'17, 1891.

ihvirnio stares PATENT Or ricn.

JOHN C. MORRISON, OF N. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BERTH SUPPORT FOR SLEEPING CAR SEATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,637, dated February 17, 1891.

Application filed June 27. 1890.

To aZZ whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, JOHN C. MORRISON, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Berth-Supporters for Sleeping- Oar Berths; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompany ing drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to berth-supporters for sleeping-car berths; and it consists in the construction and novel combination of parts, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an end view, partly in section, of a lower car-berth provided with my improved berth-supporters. Figs. 3 and at are detail perspective views of the two castings detached from the seat, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal view of the two sec-. tions connected.

As now practiced, the foundation for the lower berth of a sleeping-car is formed from the seat-cushions and back-cushions in the following manner: The two seat-cushions are first shoved together in the center or middle line between two facing seats, and the two, back-cushions are then dropped flat down forming a fiat foundation for the mattress. The two cushions that have been moved together are supported by a wooden cross-bar, the ends of which drop into small brass sockets in the seat-frames and practically bar the entrance to the space beneath the berth.

The object of my improvement is to dispense entirely with the crossbars above referred to and to simplify the construction and add available storage-space beneath the berth by providing the two seat-cushions at their outer adjacent corners with sectional berthsupporters adapted to be interlocked to support the seat-cushions in position to form the foundation for the mattress.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A and B designate the frames of two adjacent and oppositely-facing ear-seats.

Serial No. 357,007. in; model.)

C and D are their respective seat-cushions, and E and F are the baclccushions of said carseats.

To the outer or front adjacent corner of each seat-cushion are secured by screws orin any other suitable manner the two castings G and ll, which are cast in the form of corner-irons, preferably, and are nickel-plated to give them an ornamental appearance. The bases or strap portions I K of the supporters are provided with screw-holes, which are countersunk to properly receive the securing screws by which they are fastened in place to the seat-cushion. At its front end and both depending from and projecting forwardly from the base of the corner portion of the casting G is a slotted or recessed. keeper L, which is adapted to receive and engage with a depending lip M on the corner portion N of the casting II to support the seat-cushions when moved together. To permit the lip M and keeper L to be brought into engagement in the locking position, the adjacent edges of the seat-cushions must be raised high enough to let the tip be dropped into the recess, and when the seats are again let down into the same horizontal plane the adjacent faces or end faces of the two supporters will abut against each other and form a rigid support for the seat-cushions while in the lock. position. The back-cushions are then dropped to place on opposite sides of the seat-cushions, and the mattress and bedclothing may be then put in place. The advantages of this construction overthe means now commonly employed are so obvious from the foregoing, when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, as to need no further explanation.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A seat-cushion provided with a cornercasting having a projecting keeper, in combination with a seat-cushion having a cornercasting provided with a lip adapted to engage the keeper of the opposing casting, substantially as specified.

2. .A berth-supporter comprising a cornercasting provided with a keeper and secured to the outer corner of a seat-cushion, in combination with u corner-casting provided with an-engaging-lip and secured to the outer corner of an opposing seat-cushion, substantially as specified.

3. In a sleeping-berth of the character described, a corner-casting provided with a keeper and secured to a seat-cushion, in combination with a corner provided with a 100k- 

